Means and method of packaging



Feb. 4, 1936. l, U E

' MEANS AND METHOD OF PACKAGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1933 Bnnentor [-71 P! If BUPKE Gttornegs Feb. 4, 1936. E. BURKE MEANS AND METHOD OF PACKAGING Filed Dec. 16, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll q P F 74 1 3nventor [4P1 [BOP/ 15 f5, W/ TM GttornegS Patented Feb. 4, 1936- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MIEANS AND METHOD OF PACKAGING Earl I. Burke, Warren, Ohio, assignmto Republic Steel Corporation, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey This invention relates to an improved package and a new and novel manner of producing some and is more particularly concerned with the handling, packaging and shipping of metallic members of all kinds including bars and sheet metal.

Prior to the present invention metal sheet and particularly flat steel sheets have been packaged and shipped in various manners; however, considerable difiiculty has been experienced due to the character of the metal. For example, the metal is quite heavy and when packed in sheets laying one on top of the other, there is considerable tendency for the individual sheets to slide on each. other and to scatter about the transporting vehicle. This is particularly true when the metal sheets are of the so-called patent level type or the oiled type in which extremely smooth surfaces cause the friction between the sheets to be reduced with resulting increase in slippage characteristics.

It has therefore been the practice in transporting sheet metal in fiat cars, gondola cars, box cars, or trucks, to position and hold the metal sheets with some suitable bulkheads, for example, of wood. However, during transit the transporting vehicles ordinarily are subjected to heavy bumps and stresses occasioned by coupling or similar circumstances which has resulted in the sheets breaking through the wooden bulkheads or, if thebulkheads are made sufiiciently strong the slippage of the sheets one on the other is apt to allow movement of the sheets to crimp, bend or mar the sheets destroying the surface or the edges.

Due to new developments in the lacquering and plating industry it has become increasingly essential that metallic members are received by the purchaser without surface blemishes. With old painting and plating practices surface irregularities or scratches could be taken care of by filler coats, polishing, etc. However, plating and l'acquetring is now done directly on the metal necessitating that it be received in excellent condition.

It h: s likewise been proposed to provide a heavy metal :rame for surrounding the sheets and holding them during transit by means of screws or other clamping devices on the metal frames. Needless to say, in equipment of this character, the initial expense is high and likewise it entails the necessity of returning the metal frames to the shipping point, thereby adding to the cost of transportation.

In the past it has been known to bind up stacked metal sheets by some flexible means such as wire; however, the slippage between the sheets has tended to allow the individual sheets to move outwardly and in certain cases sever the binding means. In addition the very heavy weight, for example as much as ten tons in a pile of steel sheets, has led to considerable trouble in holding the sheets in stacked relation by any binding means. Car after car of packed metal sheets have been received after an ordinary transporting trip in such condition thatmany of the sheets had to be trimmed or discarded. In addition, the handling of the sheets is rendered much more difiicult if the individual sheet packages have broken up and are scattered about the transporting vehicle.

In other known ways of packing and shipping sheet metal various and sundry difllculties and obstacles have arisen. For example, some engineers and shippers have proposed a rather elaborate system of conveyors for loading the packed sheet metal on a car and for unloading the same. These systems are expensive and add materially to shipping cost. They are, moreover, not readily adapted to produce and handle different styles and sizes of packages, nor to requests by the buyer that this material be handled and packaged in a certain manner.

By the present invention the foregoing and other difficulties of prior known methods have been to a large extent avoided or overcome by the provision of a simplified practical package for sheet metal and an improved manner of rapidly and effectively producing the same without expensive handling equipment. The package of the present invention is comparatively inexpensive and there are no means which must be returned to the shipper by the buyer. The principles of the invention can be readily adapted to the packing of various sized metal sheets with little or no trouble and inexperienced workmen can readily perform the operation with little assistance. The package is ordinarily built up on the floor of the transporting vehicle so that a heavy package need not be handled. However, if handling is not difllcult as in loading an open top vehicle the package can be built on the loading platform or dock and lifted onto the vehicle by usual mechanical equipment. The bound package is preferably left free to shift on the car floor as occasioned by jars or bumps and accordingly heavy stresses on the binding means are thereby reduced.

The foregoing and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and from a consideration of the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of practicing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the package illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the package shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another form of practicing the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the package illustrated in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the package shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

In the form of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral Ill indicates a plurality of metal sheets which are ordinarily laid flat one on top of the other as illustrated. The sheets are ordinarily from about 3 to 8 feet long, about 4 inches to 4 feet wide, and are stacked from about 4 to 24 inches high. The metal sheets I0 rest upon a plurality (generally two) of skids or runners I2 which are preferably formed of wood} The skids I2 are generally made from 2" x 4", 2" x 3", 1" x 4", or larger sized stock and are beveled at their ends as at I4 to permit the skids to slide upon the floor of the transporting vehicle.

Suitable flexible binding means are employed to secure the stacked sheets I0 together and these means may take the form of flat bands of steel. These flat steel bands are made of high tension stock and are ordinarily about a of an inch thick and 2" wide with a resistance of approximately 98,000 pounds per square inch to tensional forces. Bands of this strength are employed where the metal sheets are heavy and are of the so-called patent level or oiled type where they must be held quite tightly and in a compressed condition. Any number of bands can be used to secure the sheets I0 together; however, the present invention particularly contemplates reducing this number to a minimum by properly placing and correlating the bands and thereby materially reducing both labor and expense in packing.

Thus two transverse bands indicated by the numeral I6 are employed which bands are preferably passed through slots I8 formed in the ends of the skids I2. At the top of the stack of sheets I0 cross battens 20 are ordinarily used under the band I6 as illustrated with additional blocks 22 being placed under the band I6 near the ends of the cross battens. As seen in Fig. 3, in particular, the cross battens 20 are made slightly longer than the width of the sheets so that the tendency of the band I6 to cut into the corners of the sheets will be eliminated. Some suitable means such as the metal angle members 24 are ordinarily provided at the bottom corners of the stacks under the band I6 to prevent corner crimping or cutting at this place.

One longitudinal band, indicated by the numeral 30, is ordinarily used which band extends between the skid members I2 and around the ends of the stack and back over the central portion of the stack. As will be seen from the drawings the longitudinal band 30 may be passed over the top of the transverse bands I6 so that by fastening the longitudinal band last, the transverse bands already secured can be further tightened. This action results from the fact that the transverse bands I6 are bridged between the blocks 22 and when the longitudinal band is tightened, the transverse bands are subjected to a. toggle-like action between the blocks 22.

Some suitable means are preferably provided at the ends of the package between the longitudinal strip 30 and the ends of the sheets I0. These means may take the form of wood battens or blocks 32 which are slightly shorter than the height of the package to insure a compressing action on the sheets by the longitudinal band and yet they function to prevent crimping of the sheet corners and serve as buffers at the ends of the packages. It will be understood that these battens are preferably of wood with rounded ends and that they can be made from any sized material such as 2" x 6", 2" x 4", 1" x 4", or larger members. Additional metal or card board angle members 36 can be employed at the corners of the package under the longitudinal strip 30 if this additional protection is found necessary or desirable.

It will be understood that the bands I6 and 30 come in reels and that suitable lengths can be cut as needed with the individual bands being wrapt around the package and pulled together by a suitable tightening and locking tool which functions to produce a lock-tie 34. By tightening and locking means the bands can be very tightly fastened in place under considerable tendesired manner, and by so doing a somewhat 2;

more rigid binding is provided for the stacked sheets II]. It seems as'if securing the straps together provides a frame-like support for the sheets and tendency for slippage of the sheets on each other is reduced. It will be appreciated that the securing of the transverse and longitudinal bands together at 4|] is in many instances.

unnecessary and is actually not employed, inasmuch as the bands as ordinarily employed are sufficient. However, in preparation for particularly long and severe journeys the transverse and longitudinal bands of the packages can be secured together as described.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the numeral 50 indicates a plurality of sheets of metal such as steel, which sheets are of any size. However, they ordinarily are from 3 to 8 feet long, 4 inches to 4 feet wide and are stacked from 4 to 24 inches high. In the embodiment illustrated the sheets 50 are supported upon longitudinal skids 52 formed of 2 X 2 x 3s, 1 x 4's or larger members, with the ends of the skids being beveledas at 54. Extending transversely of the sheets 50 and skids 52 are transverse members 56 which may be included in the package and which are preferably formed of wood and of approximately the same crosssection as the skids 52. Cross members 56 function to support the sheets 50 upon the skids 52 and give an additional platform-like rest for the sheets which prevents substantial sagging of the sheets between the cross member.

Extending transversely around the sheets are bands 60 which serve to bind the sheets 50 together and which also may function to secure the skids 52 against the bottom of the stacked sheets whereby a unitary package results. To achieve this purpose the ends of the skids 52 can be slotted as at 62 to receive the transverse bands 60. The upper portions of the sheets 50 are protected from the binding action of the strap 6!! by providing transverse batten members 68 and additional blocks 68, which members and blocks are positioned between the straps 6t and the upper surface of the sheets 56.

Longitudinal binding means are also provided and these may take the form of flat straps ill of high tension steel which may be put on before or after the transverse straps 6%. Wooden batten members F2 are ordinarily provided at the ends of the package between the straps "id and the ends of the sheets and these members are rounded at their ends to allow the proper tightening of the longitudinal straps. The upper and lower corners of the sheets may be provided with additional protecting means such as angles iii of corrugated paper or sheet metal.

The package illustrated in Figs. 4, and 6 is similar in many respects to that disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and described above. However, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 an extra longitudinal binding strap has been employed and the straps have likewise been differently applied and additional supporting means have been employed beneath the stacked sheets. The inventions are, however, quite similar and it will be appreciated that one or the other of the forms illustrated can be used alternately with each other without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. It will likewise be recognized that various of the batten members can be eliminated or placed in certain different relations with respect to the sheet, although those illustrated and described are preferred. For example, the vertical battens can be employed, if found necessary or desirable, at the sides of the transverse binding straps.- Likewise, longitudinal battens can be employed in conjunction with the longitudinal binding straps. And, moreover, the various batten members can be made from materials other than wood and can be of different cross sectional shapes and sizes, as found necessary or desirable.

By my present invention a simplified and improved package for sheets, and particularly heavy metal sheets, has been provided. The package is readily assembled by the ordinary workman without special lifting equipment or other expensive and cumbersome apparatus. There is no necessity to return the binding or package forming members to the shipper, inasmuch as these means are inexpensive and can be scrapped or salvaged by the purchaser for any purpose he sees fit. The package as a whole is preferably left free to float or slide on the floor of the transporting vehicle, and the package ordinarily arrives at its destination in very excellent condition. The sheets are seldom, if ever, marred or bent in any manner and there is no tendency for the sheets to bang into restraining bulkheads or other fixed securing means in the transporting vehicle. The skids upon which the package is supported are securely tied into the pack in such a manner as not to interfere with the ready movement of the skids along the vehicle floor. The skids are likewise shaped to move freely on the floor and to keep the sheets from contact therewith.

While in accordance with the patent statutes several forms of the invention have been particularly illustrated and described, it will be understood that the scope of the invention is not defined thereby nor limited thereto but is actually defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A shipping package comprising a plurality of parallel skids, a stack of metal sheets positioned on said skids, a transverse strap encircling the stack and binding the skids and stack together, said strap being normally out of contact with. the top and bottom surfaces oi the stack, means for maintaining the transverse strap out of contact with the top longitudinal edges of the stack, means associated with said last named means and the strap so as to bridge the strap therebetween, and batten members disposed at the ends of the stack, a longitudinal strap surrounding the stack and end batten members and engaging the bridged portion of the transverse strap, said end batten members being adapted to prevent the strap from engaging the edges of the stack, means for securing the longitudinal strap under tension, the straps serving to secure the skids, batten members, and stack into a package capable of movement into a unit.

2. A shipping package comprising a plurality of skids, a stack of metal sheets positioned on said skids, a batten member disposed on the top surface and extending beyond the transverse edges of the stack, a strap extending through the skids and encircling the stack and batten member, means associated with the ends of the batten member and the strap so as to bridge the strap therebetween, end batten members having round ed ends disposed at the ends of the stack, a longitudinal strap surrounding the stack and end batten members and engaging the bridged portion of the transverse strap, and means for securing the longitudinal strap under tension, the straps serving to secure the skids, batten members and stack into a package capable of movement as a unit.

3. A shipping package comprising a plurality of parallel skids, a stack of metal sheets positioned on said skids, a batten member lying on the top surface of the stack and extending beyond the transverse edges thereof, blocks disposed on said batten member and spaced from the ends thereof, a tensioning strap surrounding the stack, spaced from the top and bottom surfaces of the stack and extending through the skids, said strap spanning the space between the blocks, end batten members having rounded corners positioned at the ends of the stack and co-extensive with the thickness thereof, a longitudinal extending strap surrounding the stack and end batten members and engaging the transverse strap intermediate said blocks, and means for securing the strap under tension.

EARL I. BURKE. 

